Program Director, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Executive Director, CANGO Her Excellency, the Ambassador of the European Union to Eswatini, Representative from the UN Development Program, Civil society organizations, Members of the media, Ladies and gentlemen – Sanibonani. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that ...

Siyanivusela Bekunene. I am honored to join you today for the closing of TUCOSWA’s Women Structure Campaign launch, and to recognize your critical contributions as women workers and women leaders. This conference is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the impact that women have on Eswatini’s productivity, political advancement, and economic growth. Every country needs women, ...

His Excellency, the Right Honourable Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Their Royal Highnesses, Program Director, Chiefs, Regional Administrators, Honourable Ministers, Members of Both Houses of Parliament, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Representatives of the United Nations Family, Her Excellency, EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Chairperson and Council Members of NERCHA, Executive Director of NERCHA, Managing ...

Welcome to you, leaders of Faith from various communities, and government officials here in Eswatini: Thank you for joining us at this lunch meeting today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the US International Religious Freedom Act. This Act was passed in 1998 to promote religious freedom as a tenet of our US foreign policy ...

Executive Director and Members of the Nhlangano AIDS Training and Counseling Center, Head of Department and Faculty of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Members of the UNESWA Association of Social Work Students, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanibonani, The campaign marking 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which starts on the International ...

Embassy of the United States of America Public Diplomacy Office October 23, 2018 Op-Ed by Ambassador Lisa J Peterson Constitution Matters I am disappointed, disheartened, and disturbed that parliamentary appointments made by the Palace disregard explicit provisions of the country’s constitution. The terms are quite simple: among the members of the House of Assembly appointed by ...

Prince Hlangusemphi, Representative of His Majesty the King; Emakhosikati, Your Royal Highnesses; Honorable Chiefs; Royal Councilors; Honorable Ministers; Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Honorable Members of Parliament; Honorable Members of the Judiciary; Members of the Media; Distinguished Guests; Friends; Lishonile and welcome to all. 1968 was a momentous year. In the U.S., the Civil ...

Her Royal Highness, the Inkhosikati, Honorable Minister of Education and Training Honorable Member of Parliament, The Regional Education Officer and staff members, The Constituency Council, Teachers, The School Committee, Parents and students, Siyanivusela Bekunene! I am pleased to join you today for the handover ceremony of the borehole project at Ekuphileni KwaSesitjeni Skills Centre. This ...

Sanibonani and welcome! It is an incredible feeling to share the stage with so many smart, young women who are changing the world. This type of intercultural exchange – between the U.S., Swaziland, and South Africa – really underscores one of our main priorities for the U.S. Embassy in Swaziland. As diplomats, we are always ...

Honorable Minister of Health, His Royal Highness, Prince Tshekedi, Regional Administrator for Hhohho, Program Director, WHO Representative, Members of UN Agencies, Representatives from the NGO community, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen Siyanivusela Bekunene – World TB Day is an opportunity to recognize our achievements in tuberculosis prevention and control, and renew our commitment to eliminating ...

Representatives from St. Michael’s Girls High School, WomEng team members, Future engineers, Good morning! What a joy to see so many motivated, intelligent, and inspired young women – you all deserve a big round of applause! I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program, complete with presentations, Q&A, and a fun hard hat activity. Judging by your ...

Honorable Minister of Health; Representatives from the Ministry of Health; All Protocols observed – Sanibonani. It is a pleasure to join you for this handover ceremony of CDC-Ministry of Health Cooperative Agreement vehicles. In the broader sense, they symbolize where Swaziland is headed on the road to stronger health service delivery and epidemic control. These ...

Honorable Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology; SADC Secretariat; Representatives from the DPM Office; Member States; Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanibonani! I am honored to join you today as SADC member states work together to engage and promote more women in science, engineering, and technology. This issue remains at the top of our priorities as the ...

Secretariat for the Human Rights Commission; Executive Director, CANGO; Representatives from the Church Forum on HIV & AIDS, the Council of Churches, and the Conference of Churches; Diplomatic Corps; Business leaders; Members of the press; Ladies and gentlemen, Siyanivusela Bekunene. I am honored to join you as the key note speaker in celebration of Human ...

Representatives from the Ministry of Health; ICAP Representatives; All Protocols observed – Sanibonani. Following many successful World AIDS Day tributes, it is a pleasure to join you for this handover ceremony of lab sample transport vehicles. In the broader sense, they symbolize where Swaziland is headed on the road to stronger health service delivery and ...

Honorable Minister of Housing and Urban Development; Peace Corps Country Director; Representatives from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation; GLOW and BRO Counselors and club members; Ladies and gentlemen, Sanibonani – I’m so pleased to join you, once again, for this march against HIV and AIDS to commemorate those who have lost their battles to the virus. ...

Your Excellency, the Right Honorable Prime Minister; Honorable Minister of Health; Shiselweni Regional Administrator; UN Resident Coordinator; Head of Mission for MSF; NERCHA Council Chairperson and representatives, Chiefs, Members of the Sigwe Inkhundla, Ladies, gentlemen, and distinguished guests, Siyanivusela Bekunene! During my remarks at the 2016 World AIDS Day Commemoration, I mentioned that, in the ...

Honorable Minister of Tinkhundla; Your Royal Highnesses; Chiefs; NERCHA Representatives; Senior Representative from the Ministry of Health; Senior Officers of Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland; Program Director; Ladies and gentlemen – Siyanivusela Bekunene. Over the past nine months, the U.S. government, through HC3, has helped to pilot a performance-based support program for select Chiefdoms ...

Your Excellency, the Right Honorable Prime Minister; Honorable Minister of Health; Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health; UN Resident Coordinator; Representatives from ICAP, NERCHA, and SNAP; PEPFAR and CDC Team Members; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Members of the press; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen, For all of you who have worked on the SHIMS 1 ...

"It’s wonderful to join you today in the commissioning of Prince Simon Primary School’s borehole project. Through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund, the U.S. government assists community groups like yours in developing projects that will improve their living conditions."

"I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers of the competition for inviting me to this important occasion. Today, we are recognizing all the incredibly talented young men and women who have traveled here from every corner of the country to demonstrate their experiments and their inventions."

Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to discuss the U.S. government’s commitment to advancing sexual and reproductive health rights in Swaziland. As we look broadly at the Sustainable Development Goals, and link them to our efforts on the ground, it is clear that sexual and reproductive health rights cut across several categories, including goals ...

Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the 241st anniversary of independence of the United States of America. I want to especially thank our sponsors – Swaziland Beverages, Mondelez International, D.D. Williamson, and FedEx – for supporting today’s event. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that ...

Thank you for joining us as we commemorate World Environment Day, celebrated each year on June 5. Your interventions and discussions on environmental literacy are helping Swaziland to address important educational priorities, legal frameworks, and sustainable policies that will impact the nation for years to come. Environmental issues have rightfully taken center stage in recent ...

Ladies and Gentlemen, It’s wonderful to be here today for the launch of the MTN Foundation’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care, an event for which the U.S. Embassy has been a proud and staunch partner. The Kingdom of Swaziland is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the right to information ...

Good Morning, I want to congratulate you all on completing your first coding workshop! I can tell that Shiselweni is going to be a leader in building Swaziland’s next generation of coders and software developers. If you follow the news, you saw that last week in Durban, hundreds of world leaders, innovators, and development experts ...

Remarks by Ambassador Lisa Peterson at the World TB Day Commemoration. Every March 24, we recognize World Tuberculosis Day, – a day when organizations from around the world Unite to End TB by calling attention to the continued threat of this ancient and deadly disease and what’s needed to eradicate it. Despite decades of efforts and significant progress in ...

"Almost two months ago to the day, Ambassador Peterson stood before a similar crowd of concerned citizens, gender activists, chiefs, and politicians and talked about the shocking levels of gender inequality between Swazi men and women."

Remarks by Ambassador Lisa Peterson Open Editors Forum Biennial General Meeting Pigg’s Peak Hotel Sunday December 18, 2016 – 13h00 Program Director Chair of the Forum All protocols observed Good afternoon Each year, we celebrate Human Rights Day on December 10th to acknowledge and to honor the full scope of rights accorded to every human ...

Mankayane Sports Grounds Thursday December 1, 2016 – 9h00 Your Excellency the Right Honorable Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland, Honorable Minister of Health, UN Resident Coordinator, Representatives from SWANNEPA, NERCHA, and IPPF; Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning. I am pleased to be here today to observe World AIDS Day in Swaziland. This day ...

Good morning. Thank you for joining us for an early-morning breakfast as we watch the live results of our 2016 Presidential election. As the political campaigns have unfolded under the 24-hour news cycle, many words have been used to describe the past eighteen months – from “spectacle” and “divisive” to “unprecedented” and “incredible” – but ...

Good Evening, Friends, The film we are about to watch artfully depicts the many challenges still facing girls and women. I’ve spoken at a number of events this year on the need to ensure equal opportunity and safety from gender based violence for girls and women. I have some statistics that I’ve used at each ...

Hon. Senator Sibongile Simelane – Minister of Health Regional Secretary Senior Health Administrator Chief Sifuba SHIMS 2 Program Implementing Team ICAP Country Director Ladies and Gentlemen The US Government, through the PEPFAR program, is committed to support the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland in its fight against the HIV epidemic. In order to make ...

MTN CEO Representative Mr. Sibusiso Nhleko Science, Maths and ICT Inspectors Head teachers of participating schools Presidents of Science, Maths and ICT Associations FIRST Lego League Operational Partner Johannes de -Vries University of South Africa (UNISA) Head of Computing and your team Judges Coaches Students Parents Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanibonani (Greetings to you all). Let ...

The Right Honorable Deputy Prime Minister Honorable Cabinet Ministers Chief of the Ngcamphalala community The Pricipal Secretay, DPM’s Office Country Representative, UNICEF Country Representative, World Food Programme Honorable Member of Parliament Senior Government Officials present Chairperson of the Lubulini Inkhundla Council Inkhundla Council Leadership of the variuos structures in the community Community members Today marks ...

Honorable Rector Vice Rector Members of the Southern African Association for Counselling and Development in Higher Education Good Evening, It is an honor to be here tonight to speak before a group engaged in the critical work of guiding Southern Africa’s young people to be a better, more prosperous, and healthier future. I need to ...

Honorable Minister for Education and Training (MoET) Principal Secretary -MoET UNICEF-Country Representative TABSA Coordinator TABSA Members Teachers Ladies and Gentlemen Good evening and thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you on this very important occasion. It is an honor for me to particiate in this year’s Teachers Across Borders – Southern ...

Thank you, Ambassador Peterson. Good afternoon, Under Secretary Kennedy, His Royal Highness Prince Sihlangusemphi and other honored guests. I am honored to be here representing the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (or OBO as we call the office in the State Department). On behalf of Director Lydia Muniz, I would like to thank you for ...

Your Royal Highness, Prince Hlangusemphi, Representative of His Majesty; Emakosikati, Your Royal Highnesses; Undersecretary Kennedy Distinguished Guests; Friends; All protocols observed; Lishonile and Welcome to all. It is a tremendous pleasure for me to stand here today in the company of so many colleagues and friends to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the United States’ ...

Representative of the Honorable Minister of Education and Training, Principal Secretary Pat Muir MTN Board Chairperson Senator David Dlamini Head Teachers from the Eight Participating Schools, Members of the Media, Friends, I am so excited to be with you here this morning for the launch of the MTN Foundation’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care, in ...

Honorable Members of Parliament, Honorable High Court Judge, Mumcy Dlamini Representative from the DPM’s Office, Kangeziwe Mabuza, Government Officials, Civil Society Leaders, Friends, Good evening and welcome to my home. I want to thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to join us in commemorating Women’s History Month. While this month is about ...

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society, Members of the Media, Friends, Good Morning and Welcome, I am so pleased to be with you this morning to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorate African American History Months, and also to witness the launch of the Human Rights Society of ...

February 17, 2016 Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Regional Administrator Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Commissioner of Cooperatives Members of the Swaziland Farmers’ Cooperative Union Distinguished guests Ladies and Gentlemen Good Morning, It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today in Ludzeludze (Loo-TZEH-loot-TZEH) as we officially launch the Swaziland ...

Your Majesty, King Mswati III, It is my honor and privilege to present to you today the Letter from the President of the United States, Barack Obama, accrediting me as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Letter of Recall of my predecessor. I am proud to have been chosen ...

By Ambassador Makila James It is a privilege for me to be here with you today at this very important event. According to the United Nations, “at any given time, an estimated 2.5 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery.” Men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers both in their own countries ...

Lishonile and Welcome to all. I want to start by thanking the talented young members of the Elangeni High School choir from Ezulwini who are performing for us this afternoon. When I heard them perform at an Embassy supported program last year, I was inspired, as I always am, by the incredible talent and potential ...

It is a pleasure for me to be with you today at this handover ceremony. This beautiful laboratory was made possible thanks to the generosity of the American people, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. Since 2007, the U.S. Government has partnered with the Government and the people of ...

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN Good morning. It is truly an honor for me to be here with you on this occasion: the launch of this historic public private partnership to promote a healthy productive population in Matsapha. Since my arrival in Swaziland, I have been focused on how to engage the best of local and national ...

Ladies and gentlemen, It is a great pleasure for me to be with you today at this handover ceremony – an activity that I take pride in doing on behalf of my government and the people of the United States. The United States Government is pleased to partner with the Ministry of Defense in improving ...

Good morning. It is my pleasure to be here today with our partners from the Ministry of Natural Resources & Energy and the Swaziland Energy Regulatory Authority to participate in the official handover of the National Electricity Grid Code to the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland. This is indeed a very important event for ...

Louis, Mandela, and I are so pleased to have all of you here at our home today to join with the American Embassy community in honoring the vision, dedication, and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of you who joined us for this occasion last year may remember that we spoke a great ...